Megawati eats her words, signs education law
Megawati eats her words, signs education law
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has put the acrimonious debate
over the national education bill behind her by signing the bill
into law.
Her signature on July 8 enacted Law No. 20/2003 on the
national education system, which has met with resistance in
several provinces ever since it was approved by the House of
Representatives on June 11.
"Of course, there are some articles that need to be
implemented through government regulations, but basically the law
has taken effect," Cabinet deputy secretary Erman Radjagukguk
told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Even without Megawati's signature, the bill would have
automatically taken effect 30 days after its approval by the
House. Since assuming power, Megawati has refused to sign three
bills, namely those on broadcasting, finance and labor
protection, also due to public controversy.
Megawati's decision to sign the education system bill raised
the eyebrows of her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) legislators, whom she had instructed to stall the
deliberation of the bill.
She later summoned one of the PDI Perjuangan faction leaders
to thank the legislators for complying with her instruction.
The House endorsed the bill in the absence of all PDI
Perjuangan legislators, who had demanded that its approval be
delayed.
"We stand by our position that the law should be further
promoted to the public," one of the party's members told the Post
under the condition of anonymity.
The controversy over the law centers around an article
requiring schools to provide religious instruction for students
according to their faiths. Opposition to the stipulation comes
mostly from non-Muslims.
Many observers and practitioners critical of the law have said
that the legislation paves the way for too much government
intervention in national education and fails to respond to global
challenges facing the country.
Provinces in eastern Indonesia like North Sulawesi, East Nusa
Tenggara and Papua have asked the central government to allow
them to disregard the law.
Some schools in East Nusa Tenggara have requested the
establishment of the Indonesian Education Watch to ensure that
students can exercise their rights.
Antara reported that the organization would provide legal aid
to ensure fair and just implementation of the new legislation.
East Nusa Tenggara's Catholic Education Board (MPK) chief
Herman Abatan said that the watchdog would be declared on July
22.